Venetian blinds are popular window treatments and can be found in homes and offices throughout the world. A typical venetian blind includes a number of elongated slats suspended from a head rail that is mounted at the top of a window. The orientation of the slats can be adjusted to vary the amount of light that can pass into the room. For example, when the slats are substantially parallel to the window they are said to be closed and little light will be able to pass through the blind. When the slats are adjusted to be perpendicular to the window they are open and more light will be able to pass into the room.
Although the slats of a venetian blind can be adjusted to an infinite number of different settings, each representing a different angle between the slats and the window, research has demonstrated that most venetian blind users prefer to adjust their slats to one of a relatively limited number of settings. For example, popular settings include the closed setting with the slats parallel to the window, the "full open" setting with the slats perpendicular to the window, and a position where the slats are at a 45.degree. angle with respect to the window.
It is difficult for a user to determine visually when the slats are set at the precise orientation desired. Furthermore, it is difficult to adjust the slats on a number of venetian blinds in the same proximity such that the slats on all of the blinds are set at precisely the same orientation, which is an aesthetically desirable result. Accordingly, venetian blind users waste time attempting to fine tune the adjustment of the slats to a desired setting and are often unable to precisely align the slats on adjacent blinds.